"Poor People Matter!": Round Four at Cop Corner

For those who have suffered and don't want to suffer again the experience or the sight of over-policing, racial and class profiling, militarization, abusive threats and use of force downtown and elsewhere in town--

For those who want to show solidarity with the national movement against police brutality generally.

For those who are tired of the passivity and silence of local organizations who receive complaints, but do nothing.

This is the 4th in a series of public protests demanding radical reform in the Santa Cruz Police Department and calling the community to speak out about the encounters they've had with the armed and uniformed "protect and serve"--ers of Santa Cruz.

The SCPD has still not made available the racial ticketing record of Officer Bill Azua, as repeatedly requested under the Public Records Act Though required by law, Azua's arrest and citation record has been stripped of any information regarding the race of those he cited.

It took months to get the record of Officer Bradly Barnett. When we looked it over, we found he was citing African-Americans at 7 times their rate in the population. (See Barnett's complete record of Racial Citations at http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/10/21/barnett_cites_including_race.pdf )

An earlier protest on December 17 made this same demand along with other long-standing concerns. Like letting the public know which officers have been using tasers, choke-holds (allowed in Santa Cruz, banned in New York City), pain compliance holds, weapon draws, baton strikes, and so forth.
See "Keeping Up the Pressure: Wednesday Protest at Cop Corner " at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/12/13/18765489.php .

For more info and a peek at the last protest, see ""Homeless People Matter" Protest Gets Honks, Volunteers, at Cop Corner" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/12/22/18765911.php